BY JENNIFER LOGUE, Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly
jenniferl@fwbusiness.com
Fort Wayne's proposed Harrison Square project has both its critics and its supporters. Although disagreement exists on how to revitalize downtown, many think that while the area still may be the center for cultural institutions, government and the banking industry in Fort Wayne and Allen County, it's no longer the center of everyday life it once was.
Old photos of downtown Fort Wayne depict streets filled with people and cars, with electric streetcar lines hanging overhead. Aerial photos from the 1930s show densely populated city blocks. About 60 percent of what was downtown Fort Wayne has been torn down, according to Downtown Improvement District president Dan Carmody.
Carmody believes that with time, downtown can become more compelling.
"Downtown didn't become the way it is overnight, and it's not likely to put it back together overnight," he said, stressing the importance of long-term commitment to smaller projects.
Supporters of Harrison Square, the first phase of which would cost $125 million, hope the project will help the revitalization process. A visit to the new Allen County Public Library to research the downtown's past, however, found that several elements of the Harrison Square project are not new. In fact, three of them have links to downtown Fort Wayne's history.
The Harrison Square project calls for 30,000 square feet of street-level retail space - twice that amount in additional phases. Historically, Calhoun and Columbia streets were the city's center for commerce. Drug stores and grocery stores were common, and there were stores selling lamps, clothing, furniture, shoes and jewelry, with eateries interspersed in the mix.
The Harrison Square project also includes a $47-million, 250-room hotel. In the 19th century, downtown hotels included the Aveline House, Mayer House, Main Street Exchange, the American House and the Grand Hotel.
The 1920s had downtown hotels such as the Baltes on the southeast corner of Berry and Harrison streets. The Anthony was located directly across the street on the northeast corner of the intersection. Also on Harrison Street was the Randall Hotel, and the Hotel Rich was on South Calhoun Street. Two others were the Wayne Hotel and the Weber Hotel.
The Keenan Hotel, located on the corner of Harrison Street and Washington Boulevard, was 13 stories and had 214 rooms. John F. Kennedy reportedly stayed there in 1959, and U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy was there the following year. U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy attended a political meeting there in 1972, and President Harry Truman visited in 1958.
The third major element of Harrison Square, a proposed minor-league baseball stadium that would cost $30 million, has sparked the most controversy. If the stadium is built, it wouldn't be the first time baseball has had a presence downtown.
When Fort Wayne Civil War veterans returned home, one of their favorite pastimes was playing baseball. The popularity of the sport grew, and in 1871 when the first professional baseball league was organized in New York, the Fort Wayne Kekiongas were one of nine teams to join.
On May 4 of that year, Fort Wayne hosted the first National League baseball game against the Cleveland Forest. The Kekiongas disbanded in midseason.
As a promotional stunt, the manager of the Jenny Electric Light Co. had lights installed over League Park, which was the baseball stadium. It was located between Clinton and Calhoun streets, just south of St. Mary's River.
On June 3, 1883, 2,000 fans showed up to see the Fort Wayne Methodist College team play the Quincy, Ill., "Professionals" in the city's first nighttime baseball game. The lights went out twice during the game, causing short delays. Fort Wayne lost, 19-11.